ST. PAUL —State Representative Donald Raleigh, R-Circle Pines, issued the following statement regarding Gov. Tim Walz's 2021-2022 budget proposal. Gov. Walz is proposing $1.7 billion in new taxes including a 10% hike to Minnesota's top tax bracket, a 15 percent hike to Minnesota's business tax, and regressive tax hikes on cigarettes and vaping products that disproportionately hit low-income Minnesotans. The Governor is proposing just .3% in cuts ($150 million) out of a $52+ billion budget.
“Raising taxes and growing government as the state continues to recover from the damage caused by his forced shutdowns is the wrong approach to balance our budget,” said Rep. Raleigh. “Governor Walz’s proposed budget would slow our recovery and further damage Minnesotans and businesses that have been harmed by his one-size-fits-all closures. Instead, we should focus our efforts on making sure that government shares in the sacrifice by reducing spending and streamlining state agencies.”
Lawmakers and the Governor, working together as the Minnesota Constitution mandates, must pass a new two-year budget by June 30 to avoid a state government shutdown. Let’s not wait until the last minute. Let’s start working together now.
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